No new Conker game coming from Rare

No one’s sure what veteran UK developer Rare is working on, but it definitely isn’t a new Conker game.

That’s according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, responding to queries as to whether or not Rare is working on a new outing for the foul-mouthed squirrel now that Team Dakota has unveiled a new episodic Conker adventure for Project Spark, according to MCV.

A Conker Build Pack will introduce new assets and tools that Project Spark users can add to their custom made games, but it has been handled entirely by Team Dakota, as has the new adventure.

“Rare has a different project they want to build so we wanted to give the community the tools/assets,” said Spencer via Twitter.

“Rare is building something else, [and the] Spark community is creative. I’m looking forward to seeing what they build with the Conker assets.”

When asked if this means Rare would consider returning to the Conker brand one day, he said: “We didn’t say never. It’s just not being worked on right now by Rare or any other studio.”

There’s a lot riding on Rare’s next title. It previous release, Kinect Sports Rivals, didn’t perform as well as expected, sparking layoffs at the UK studio.

The developer has teased a big reveal for 2015, expected at E3 and tipped to be a return for either the Banjo Kazooie or Battletoads franchises.

Attention has been diverted somewhat by the formation of new studio Playtonic Games, staffed by former Rare devs hoping to make games in the spirit of previous hits such as Banjo Kazooie and Conker’s Bad Fur Day.